Shawanda Alston’s oldest daughter says the 38-year-old mother had seven children, several of whom were home during the shooting.
BOWIE, Md. — The children of a Bowie woman are facing the loss of their mother after she died Tuesday from injuries suffered in a shooting inside her home, where court records say several of the children witnessed or heard the events surrounding the attack.
Shawanda Alston, 38, died at a local hospital five days after the Aug. 20 shooting in the 8500 block of Myrtle Avenue, Bowie police said. Her oldest daughter told WUSA9 that Alston was the mother of seven children. Charging documents in the criminal case describe six children shared by Alston and the man accused in the shooting as being inside the home at the time.
Police arrested Kimball Alton Hinton Jr., 41, following the shooting. Authorities initially charged him with first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault, three counts of reckless endangerment and additional firearm offenses. He remained jailed without bail after Alston’s death, police said. The department had not announced revised charges as of Wednesday.
The shooting occurred during an argument over the family’s ability to provide school supplies for the children, according to charging documents. The records say Alston was sitting on a bed and holding a 2-month-old baby while she and Hinton argued. Another child tried to intervene during the dispute, the documents state.
One of the children called 911 at 4:16 p.m. to report that her mother had been shot by her father, according to the charging documents. Hinton made a separate 911 call about two minutes later. When officers reached the Myrtle Avenue home, they found him outside and Alston wounded inside a bedroom.
The details placed the children at the center of the emergency that unfolded inside their home. Police records and court documents describe them as being present during the dispute, with one trying to intervene and another seeking help through the emergency system. Authorities have not released the children’s names, and their identities are being withheld because they are minors.
Bowie police said officers recovered a Sig Sauer .380 handgun at the scene. Charging documents say Hinton told investigators that he had returned to the bedroom during the argument and fired two rounds. The records also state that he acknowledged having an opportunity to leave the dispute. The statements described in the charging documents have not been proven in court.
Police took Alston to a hospital in critical condition after responding to the home at about 4:20 p.m. She remained hospitalized until Tuesday afternoon, when Bowie police announced that she had died from injuries caused by the shooting.
Her death changed the immediate focus of the investigation. Bowie police said they are coordinating with the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit. Police Chief Dwayne A. Preston offered condolences to Alston’s family and loved ones when the department announced her death.
Public accounts of Alston’s family distinguish between the six children described in court records as belonging to the couple and the seven children her oldest daughter said Alston had in total. Authorities have not released further information about arrangements for the children or other family matters following Alston’s death.
Hinton remains in custody without bail while investigators continue reviewing the case. Bowie police have not announced additional findings or any change in charges following Alston’s death.
Author note: Last updated August 26, 2026.